Wonder Woman 1984: Who Is Asteria?

Wonder Woman 1984 debuted Friday in theaters and on HBO Max thrilling fans with the DC heroine’s latest adventure one that is full of retro 80s vibes, action, and that mysterious return of the love of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman’s (Gal Gadot) life, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). But the film also was packed full of major nods the history of the Amazons including the introduction of a significant figure in their history within the world of DC film, Asteria. But who is this previously unheard of Amazon who had not only an important impact on the film’s story but a cool cameo appearance as well? Let’s break it down.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Wonder Woman 1984. Only keep reading if you really want to know!

As was revealed in teasers and trailers for the film, Diana has her Golden Eagle armor (or simply Golden Armor as costume designer Lindy Hemming called it in a previous interview) and the film explains what that armor is. While trying to come up with a plan to stop Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) without having to relinquish her wish and, thus, let go of the newly-returned Steve Trevor (you can read more about how exactly Steve returns here) Diana goes into a private area of her apartment to watch various television feeds. Steve joins her and immediately notices a very large, wrapped object leaning against one wall and promptly asks Diana about it.

She explains that the armor belonged to Asteria, the greatest Amazon warrior who ever lived. As Diana explains, in ancient times, the Amazons were enslaved by man and it’s Asteria who decides to hold back the humans so that her Amazon sisters can escape, sacrificing herself in the process. The armor that Asteria wore was created from the armor of all of the enslaved Amazons who gave it forge that one epic suit. While the others escaped to Themyscira, Asteria apparently died saving them. Diana tells Steve she’s looked for Asteria, but only ever found her armor.

While Asteria sounds really cool, fans won’t want to run to the pages of comics to find out more about her. As far as we can tell, there isn’t a direct match with Wonder Woman 1984‘s Asteria and you probably don’t want to look to Green mythology, either. In Greek mythology, Asteria is the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe and the mother of Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. Instead, Asteria appears to be an original creation, though as it turns out not unfamiliar. While Diana believes that Asteria has likely perished, the film’s mid-credits scene reveals Asteria’s actual fate.

In the scene, viewers watch a brunette woman wearing a blue cloak-like garment and for a moment you might think it’s Diana — especially when the woman reaches out and effortlessly stops a falling pole, saving civilians including a woman and her baby. However, when she turns and reveals her face, she introduces herself as Asteria before hinting at her history, noting she’s been “doing this for a long time”. And who plays Asteria, the greatest Amazon warrior? None other than legendary Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter, which makes the line about doing the “wonder woman” thing for a long time even more fitting.

Were you excited about Lynda Carter’s appearance as Asteria in Wonder Woman 1984? Let us know in the comments.